Lifting device.



F. B." LA MAY.

LIFT-ING DEVICE. APPLICATION III-ED NOV. 19, 1907.

,Patenlqed Apr; 27, 1909.

' 'FIG'A.

INVENTOR c 4 1 Q 0.. wnsnmmu. a. c.

- or ro FRANK B. LA MAY, OF ROCHESTER, EW-YO K, Assle'noR 'ro AMERICANCHEMICAL MANU* FACTURING & MINING COMPANY, OE RoCHEsTER, NEW YORK, ACORPORATIONOF NEW YORK. r

LIFTING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented April 27, 1909.

Application filed November 19, 190?. Serial No. 402,938.

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, FRAN K B. Ln MAY, a

citizen of the United States, and resident of.

Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State 0 of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Lifting Devices, of

which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to lifting devices, and has for itsobjec t toproduce a-simple and efficient mechanisnnand which may b easily operatedby one hand. i V

The invention consists in the apparatus hereinafter described andclaimed. 1 1

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device; Fig. 2 is arear View thereof; Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of a detail; and Fig. 4 isa perspective view illustrative of the mode of using the device.

The device comprises a handle 1', of any desired length, carrying a pairof curved jaws 2 at its upper end, and having at its: lower end meansfor moving the ends of said jaws toward or away from each other. Thejaws 2 are pivoted 3. ma post 4' which may form part of a metal ferruleoon the upper end oftthe handle 1. The jaws 2 have extensions 6 beyondthe'pivot 3,to which links 7' are attached. The lower ends of said linkstake into a hook S on the upper end of a rod or wire 9 which is guidedin staples or eyes 10 on the handle 1. A coiled tension spring 11 isalso fastened at one end to said hook S, and at the other end to ahanger 12 depending from the pivot Said spring, together with the links7, constitutes means for opening the jaws 2 after-the device has beenused. a

On the lowerend of the handle 1. is pivoted a yoke-shaped lever 13, fromwhich ex tends an arm 14. The lever 13 Carries latch means for holdingthe j aws closed. The lever 18 has pivoted in it at 1am latch 15, theupper end 16 of which-is adapted to engage a toothed rack 17 thatisfastened to the handle 1 (Fig. 1). The rod or wire 9 is hooked into anextension 18 of the latch 15, and the continuous tensionof the'spring 11therefore tends to hold the end 16 of said latch in engagen'ientwith therack 17.

Suitable gripping pieces are provided at the extremities of the jaws 2,for the purpose of engaging and holding the article to be removed from ahigh shelf. In the present instance curved pieces 19 are shown, and theyare spring'controlled and are flexibly connected to the jaws 2. Eachpiece-19 is fixed to one end ofa fiat spring 20, whose other end isriveted to a head 21 on the extremity of the jaw 2 (Fig. 3) so that itis tiltable in all directions on the jaw. Rubber pads 22 may be attachedto the inner faces of the The springs 20 permit the gripping pieces .toadjust themselves to the surface contour of various articles and alsoalways tend to move the gripping pieces automatically to a definite ornormal position and to returnthem automatically to such normal positionafter use.

Fig. 4: shows clearly the operation of the device; The jaws 2 beingnormally spread to the position shown by full lines in Fig. 2, theoperator'grasps the handle 1, resting the forefinger upon the latch 15,and the third, fourth and fifth fingers upon the lever 14. Placing i thedevice so that the jaws 2 are on opposite sides of the article on theshelf, the third, fourth and fifth fingers may be contracted, thuspulling the lever 14 toward the handle 1, and nioving'the latch downwardalong the ratchet rack 17 to the position shown in dotted linesinFig. 1. By this movement "the rod 9 is moved downward, carrying withitthe links 7 against the action of the spring 11, and bringing the jaws2 toward each other at their outer ends, as indicated by dotted lines inFig. 2 The gripping pieces 19 engage the article upon the shelf, and areprevented from springing apart again by the engagement of the latch-end16 with the rack 17. To release the article from the device, it is onlynecessary to press the forefinger upon the latch 15, releasing it fromthe rack 17, and then the spring 11 may contract and pull the links 7upward. moving the jaws 2 into the normal or open position. It is clearthat the gripping pieces 19 in grasping a cylindrical object are capableof turning around a line or axis which is transverse to the plane ofmovement of the movable jaw 2, and this would be true even if one of thejaws should be come fixed.

What I claim is v 1. In a lifting device, the combination of a handle,two jaws pivoted to the handle, spring means for opening the jaws,self-ad justing gripping pieces flexibly connected I to. the ends of thejaws, a lever pivoted on pieces 19 to afford a firmer grip than could beobtained by the metal pieces 19alone;

the handle for operating the aws, and connecting means between saidlever and said jaws.

2. In a lifting device, the combination of a handle, two jaws pivoted tothe handle, spring means for opening the aws, a spring on each jawattached thereto at one end, a gripping piece attached to the other endof each spring, a lever pivoted on the handle for operating the jaws,and connecting means between said lever and said jaws.

3. In a lifting device, the combination of a handle, two jaws pivoted tothe handle, spring means for opening the jaws, a flat spring on each jawattached thereto at one end, a gripping piece attached to the other endof each spring, a lever pivoted on the handle for operating the jaws,and connecting means between said lever and said jaws.

4. In a lifting device, the combination of a handle, jaw mechanismcarried by the handle, means tending to open thejaw mechanism, a leverpivoted to the handle for operating said jaw mechanism, an automaticlatch on the lever, a rack on the handle for engaging the latch, and aconnection from the lever to the jaw mechanism.

5. The combination of a handle, two movable jaws pivoted to the handle,two links one connected to each jaw, a spring connected to the links andto the handle for opening the jaws, a latch arm pivoted on the handlefor closing the jaws, a rack on the handle for engaging the latch arm,and connecting means from the latch arm to the links.

6. The combination of a handle, two mm able jaws pivoted on the handle,two links, one connected to each jaw, a latch arm pivoted on the handle,a rack on the handle for engaging the latch arm, connecting means fromthe latch arm. to the jaws, and a spring for opening the jaws connectingthe handle and said connecting means.

7. A handle, two movable jaws pivoted on the handle, a spring foropening the jaws, an arm pivoted on the, handle, a latch pivoted on thearm, a. rack on the handle for engaging the latch, and connecting meansfrom the latch to the jaws.

8. A handle, two movable jaws pivoted to the handle, two links, oneconnected to each jaw, an arm pivoted on the handle, a latch pivoted onthe arm, a rack on the handle for engaging the latch, a connection fromthe latch to the links, and a spring for opening the jaws attached tosaid connecting means and to said handle.

9. In a lifting device, the combination of a handle, two jaws carried bythe handle, spring means for opening the jaws, selfadjusting grippingpieces flexibly connected to the ends of the aws, and manual means forclosing said jaws.

10. In alifting device, the combination of a handle, two jaws carried bythe handle. spring means for opening the jaws, a spring on each jawattached thereto at one end. a gripping piece attached to the other endof each spring, and manual mains for closing said jaws.

11. In a lifting device, the combination of a handle, two jaws carriedby the handle. spring means for opening the aws, a flat spring on eachjaw attached thereto at one end, a gripping piece attacheu to the otherend of each spring, and manual means for closing said jaws.

12. In a lifting device, the combination of a handle, jaw mechanismcarried by the handle, means for autonuitically opening the jawmechanism, gripping pieces attached to said jaw mechanism anduniversally and automatically adjustable to objects grasped thereby, andmanual means for closing said jaw mechanism.

13. In a lifting device, the combination of a handle, jaws carried bythe handle, auto matic means for opening the jaws, a hand lever foroperating the jaws, a latch carried by said lever for locking the jawsand movable in the same direction as the lever for release, a rack onthe handle for the latch. and a connection to the jaws.

1a. In a lifting device, the combination of a handle, jaw mechanismcarried by the handle, means for automatically opening the jawmechanism, one or more gripping pieces attached to said jaw mechanismand tiltable around an axis transverse to the plane of movement of thejaw mechanism and thereby automatically adjustable to objects graspedthereby, and manual means for closing said jaw mechanism.

15. In a lifting device, the combimition of a handle, jaw mechanismcarried by the handle, means for automatically opening the jawmechanism, one or more gripping pieces attached to said jaw mechanismand tiltable around an axis transverse to the plane of movement of thejaw mechanism and thereby automatically adjustable to objects graspedthereby, a hand lever pivoted to said handle, a latch carried by saidlever, a rack on the handle for the latch, and a connection to said jawmechanism.

16. In a lifting device, the combination of a handle, jaws carried bythe handle, gripping pieces carried by the jaws and tiltable around anaxis transverse to the plane of movement of the jaw mechanism andcomprising means for moving the gripping pieces automatically to anormal position to permit automatic adjustment thereof to lit thesurfaces of objects to be grasped, and means for operating said'jawmechanism.

17. In a lifting device, the combination of a handle, jaws carried bythe handle, gripping pieces carried by the jaws comprising means formoving the gripping pieces automechanism.

a handle, jaw mechanism carried by the handle, one or morespring-controlled gripping pieces connected to the jaw mechanism andtiltable around an axis transverse to the plane of movement of the jawmechanism and thereby automatically adjustable to objects graspedthereby, and means for operating said jaw mechanism.

19. In a lifting device, the combination of a handle, jaw mechanismcarried by the handle, one or more gripping pieces connected to the jawmechanism and tiltable around an axis transverse to the plane ofmovement of the jaw mechanism and thereby automatically adjustable 'toobjects grasped thereby, and means for operating said jaw 20. In alifting device, the combination of a handle, jaw mechanism carried bysaid handle comprising a movable jaw, one or more gripping piecestiltably connected to said jaw mechanism and thereby selfadjustable tofit the surfaces of objects grasped thereby, comprising means for movingthe same automatically to a normal position,

.and means for operating said jaw mechanism.

21. In a lifting device, the combination of a handle, jaw mechanismcarried bythehandle, one or more spring-controlled gripping piecestiltably connected to the jaw mechanism and thereby automaticallyadjustable to objects grasped thereby, and means for op erating said jawmechanism.

22. In a lifting device, the combination of a handle, jaws carried bythe handle, gripping pieces carried by the jaws and tiltable in alldirections with reference thereto, and 7 means for causing the aws toapproach and separate.

23, In a lifting device, the combination of I a handle, jaws carried bythe handle, gripping pieces carried by the jaws and tiltable in alldirections with reference thereto and comprising means for moving thegripping pieces automatically to a normal position, and'means forcausing the jaws to approach and separate.

24. In a lifting device, the combination of a handle, jaws carried bythe handle, gripping pieces tiltably connected to said jaws andcomprising means for moving the gripping pieces automatically to anormal position, and means for causing the jaws to approach and toseparate.

25. In a lifting device, the combination of a handle, jaws carried bythe handle, springcontrolled, self adjusting gripping pieces connectedto the jaws and tiltable in all directions thereon, and means forcausing the jaws to approach and separate.

FRANK B. LA MAY. Witnesses D. GURNEE, L. THON;

